Here to Stay: Spotify and Kealing Middle School
Every year, the people of Austin turn over their city to SXSW. The world’s biggest brands take over the city to be around breaking artists, tech trends, and influential consumers for a week, then leave only to return the following year. It’s hard for brands to stand out among the mix.
Spotify has always had a presence at SXSW and has always worked with the community to provide access to their space for nonprofit programming. In 2016, Spotify had a bigger presence than ever before – and they wanted their commitment to the people of Austin to be bigger than ever before.
Spotify’s goal was to stand apart from the other brands at SXSW by investing in social impact and bringing all the power of Spotify – artists, employees, and millions of music fans – together to create change.
Working directly with Kealing Middle School, Spotify determined that they could donate the materials, furniture, and audio equipment from the Spotify House they were building at SXSW and reuse them to create a brand-new recording studio and expanded classroom space for their students.
Every visitor to the Spotify House at SXSW had the opportunity to experience the Here to Stay program. While waiting in line for entrance, fans read signage that explained the program. Inside the House, visual placards were displayed so fans could see exactly what pieces would be donated to Kealing Middle School. Email and social communications to fans who RSVP’d to the Spotify House promoted the project and shared the Kealing Middle School story.
Spotify developed an integrated marketing campaign featuring the video below to engage and the music fans they reach beyond the festival, telling the story of Kealing Middle School through the voices of their students, and the value of the music production program.
As a result, Spotify was the #2 most talked-about brand at SXSW and the only brand whose social impact programs were mentioned with millions of social media and press impressions.
